One of my all time favorites, this is my moist, fudgy, and completely from-scratch best chocolate cake recipe. It comes together in one bowl and pairs well with any frosting! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why This is THE Chocolate Cake Recipe You Need:
- Ridiculously moist, even days later: Most cakes dry out by day two… not mine! Thanks to a strategic combo of buttermilk, oil, butter, and an extra egg yolk you’ll get a moist, tender crumb that stays soft, fudgy and rich, even straight out of the fridge!
- Bold chocolate flavor. No flat cocoa flavor here. By blooming the cocoa with hot coffee we unlock its full intensity. While the cake doesn’t actually taste like coffee, it has a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor in every bite.
- No mixer, no fuss, no fail! Made in one bowl with no special equipment required, this cake comes together so easily (though of course feel free to use your stand or hand mixer, if you feel so inclined!).
- This is the chocolate cake recipe you’ll come back to. This is the one I make for birthdays, holidays, or any time I need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. It’s reliable, richly chocolatey, and just plain better than the rest (if I do say so myself). If you don’t believe me, here’s a recent 5-star review:
“Perfect as is no changes needed! This cake yields a tender, moist crumb packed with flavor. I used the hot coffee as suggested and it really helps the flavor pop. I topped it with the oreo icing and and even our picky eaters came back for seconds. Thank You!“
– Elayna
What You Need
Each ingredient in this chocolate cake recipe was carefully chosen to make for a moist and flavorful chocolate cake. Let’s go over the key players:
Note: This ingredient photo does not include ingredients for the frosting, as you can use your favorite (suggestions below!).
- Buttermilk gives my chocolate cake recipe intense depth of flavor and keeps it soft and moist. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute in a pinch–but real buttermilk is best!
- Oil and butter give us a moist cake with great flavor. This combination is especially important if you need to refrigerate your chocolate cake (which could dry out your cake). I originally used canola or vegetable oil in this recipe, but have learned avocado oil works just as well and this is my current go-to.
- An extra egg yolk contributes to the tender, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. If you don’t want to waste your leftover egg white, save it to make some candied almonds.
- Cocoa powder. I recommend using natural cocoa powder for best results.
- Hot water/coffee will “bloom” your cocoa powder, fully developing its flavor. Note that using coffee won’t make your chocolate cake taste like coffee, but it will enhance the chocolate taste even more than plain hot water would (which is why I prefer it to water). On the other hand, if you really like coffee and want a coffee flavor, you can always frost this cake with my coffee frosting (I actually like to use the variation in that recipe to make a mocha frosting with this cake)!
Remember, this is just an overview of some of the key ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: The best way to keep this chocolate cake recipe (or, any cake) moist is to not over-bake it. Make sure that your oven temperature isn’t running hotter than it is leading you to believe (I keep two thermometers in my oven to make sure the temperature is accurate), as an oven that’s too hot will over-bake your cake in your hurry.
How to Make The Best Chocolate Cake
Step 1: Reverse creaming (sort of!)
We are essentially using a modified version of the reverse creaming method (previously shown in my caramel cake!) for a super moist crumb. This means we first combine the dry ingredients (and the sugar, which is technically a wet ingredient) and then add oil and melted butter. The mixture will be thick and crumbly, but stir until all of the dry ingredients are completely moistened. An electric mixer makes this a bit easier, though I’ve done it by hand before with just a spatula.
Step 2: Add the rest of the wet ingredients
Eggs, an extra yolk, and a healthy pour of vanilla extract go in first. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, or they can make it difficult for the batter to combine, resulting in a wonky, uneven cake. Next stir in the buttermilk, the batter will thin a bit here, but it really becomes thin once you add the (hot!) coffee.
You can use hot coffee or hot water for this step, but the most important thing is that it’s, well, hot! The heat from the warm liquid “blooms” the cocoa, as mentioned in the “Ingredients” section above (see that section again if you’re curious about why I prefer coffee to water, too!).
Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl here so the batter is smooth and uniform. And it will seem thin! This is absolutely normal!
Step 3: Bake & cool (then decorate!)
Divide the batter into 8″ round baking pans and bake. I recommend using circles of cut out parchment paper on the bottom of my pans (in addition to greasing/flouring them) to ensure there will be no sticking when it’s time to remove the cakes from the pans (makes things so much easier and less stressful!). Once they’ve finished baking, let them cool in the pans for a few minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
If needed/desired you can level your cake layers (this is the inexpensive cake leveler (affiliate) I like to use) and then decorate with your favorite frosting. I have a post on how to decorate a cake if you need help with this step (but you can see I kept things pretty simple here).
SAM’S TIP: A crumb coating is always a good idea! To do this, apply a thin, even layer of frosting to catch all of your crumbs and then place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and finish frosting for a crumb-free finish!
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to a truly moist, fudgy chocolate cake recipe comes down to a few key ingredients and techniques. Buttermilk (full-fat, and better if it’s the real deal and not a substitute) gives the crumb a soft, tender texture while a combo of oil and butter gives you the bet of both worlds — lasting moisture and rich flavor. An extra egg yolk adds a luxurious fudgy bite, and most importantly don’t overbake it! Pull the cake out of the oven when there are a few moist crumbs on your toothpick (but no wet batter), that’s when the magic happens.
Final tip: I recommend if you haven’t already, learn how to use a kitchen scale to consistently have best results with all of your baked goods.
I typically use chocolate buttercream or my favorite chocolate frosting; however my chocolate fudge frosting works just as well (and that’s what I used in the photos here!). The fudge frosting is thicker, richer and, well, fudgier, while the “favorite” frosting is lighter, sweeter, and more buttercream-esque.
Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, coffee frosting, brown butter frosting, peanut butter frosting, caramel frosting, or even Oreo frosting would also be good as decadent options, or lighten things up with fresh fruit and try my strawberry frosting, raspberry buttercream or even my blueberry frosting!
Yes, you can use my chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes, but my recommendation is to make my easy chocolate cupcake recipe instead; it yields a light, springy texture that suits the cupcake form so well.
However, if you want to make this cake as cupcakes, know you’ll get approximately 24 cupcakes. Fill your liners ⅔ of the way full and bake for 16-18 minutes.
Perfect Frosting Pairings:
This chocolate cake recipe has already earned hundreds of 5-star ratings, but I’d love to hear what you think of it! Leave me a comment and a rating once you try it (please!).
Enjoy!
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The BEST Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (118 ml) neutral cooking oil (use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil)
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- 1 batch chocolate frosting see note
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 8" round cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing and flouring the sides. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) stir together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.1 ⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (75 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Add melted butter and oil, stir well. Batter may be thick, this is fine, just stir until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (118 ml) neutral cooking oil
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. Pause occasionally to scrape sides and bottom of bowl.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gradually add buttermilk and stir well.1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk
- Add hot coffee or water, stirring carefully until ingredients are well-combined (be sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl to ensure batter is uniform).½ cup (118 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting (I recommend the one linked in the recipe above, or one of my favorites linked in the notes below!).1 batch chocolate frosting
Notes
- Two 9″ pans: Cakes will need to bake for less time, start checking at 27-30 minutes. Please keep in mind that if your pans are dark-colored the cake may need less time to bake.
- Three 8″ pans: Bake approximately 23-26 minutes.
- Three 9″ pans. Cake layers will be quite thin. Bake approximately 20-23 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Recipe originally published 02/27/2017. I’ve updated the post to have new photos, a new video, and more helpful information, but the recipe has been extensively tested and was not in need of improvement, so it remains the same!
Giana
Made this for a friends get together and it was AMAZING!!! Thank you!
Lana
I made this recipe twice and both times it sunk in the middle. It was fully cooked d and the outside edges turned out a little tough. Did I do something wrong? Is there anyway to fix this?
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this, Lana! Is it possible that the batter could be slightly over-mixed? Is your oven temperature accurate? If it’s too hot it could be causing the outsides to finish before the inside is done. I like to use a toothpick and insert it in the middle to see if it’s done. It should come out clean, or preferably, with a moist crumbs. Was your oven fully preheated before beginning baking? I hope some of this helps. 🙁
Lana
Thank you Sam! I will definitely try this recipe again with these tips.
Christina Galindo
Lana, my cake did the exact same thing. The 3rd layer I put in wasn’t so bad. I was using a small pan I think 6″ I may have overfilled it. That layer did not sink as much and had a softer edge.
Renae
Lana – Do you live at a higher altitude – above 3,500 feet? It is harder to bake cakes and not have the centers fall at high altitudes. I constantly struggle with fallen cakes as I live at 6,500 feet. I’ve followed suggestions I’ve found online on how to prevent fallen cakes but still end up with sunken centers. 🫤
Amanda Brown
Hi Sam!
Can you use a Bundt pan for this recipe?
Also, would adding mini chocolate chips work well in the recipe?
Sam
Hi Amanda! The recipe likely won’t fill a bundt pan completely but it could be baked in one. I’m not sure on the bake time. I think all of the chocolate chips would end up staying on the bottom if you added them to the batter.
Nanajee Travels
“Sounds like the perfect chocolate cake recipe! 🍫🎂 Moist, fudgy, and made from scratch in just one bowl—what’s not to love? Pair it with your favorite frosting, and you’ve got a winner. Can’t wait to check out the how-to video! 🎥✨”
Dot
Hi Sam, I love this recipe. Everyone loves this cake. I’m making a 1/2 sheet cake. Will this recipe be enough? Should I plan to make more?
Thanks so much.
Sam
Hi Dot! This cake will make enough for a 9 x 13 so if you are looking to fill an 18 x 13 you would need to double the recipe. I’m not sure on a bake time.
Dot
Thank you so much.
Hamilton
so yummy in my tummy. best cake ever. triple layer was great but I definitely loveded having the single layer to myself. id recommend it to anyone but I refuse to share him with anyone, im so in love with his recipe, I gobbled him up in my 🛏️. it’s now a necessary recipe in my life, I’m out of paper so I couldn’t wouldn’t even share him ever this man with with anyone. I’ll be making my man this moist easy peasy recipe 365 days a year for rest of his life if he wishes. when we have 4*4 babies I’m sure they’d love this too. thank you I’ll be grateful thankful and blessed for infinity.
Pebble
Possibly the best chocolate cake we’ve ever had. Not too chocolatey, not too rich, not too sweet, and perfectly moist. We didn’t even wait to try frosting it before it was gone.
Gracy
It is the best chocolate cake for real moist fluffy and not over sweet
Emily
I made this as cupcakes and although the flavor was very rich the cupcakes seemed wet after they cooled. It’s like the recipe made them too moist! I use a scale and am extremely familiar with baking. Is there something I could have done wrong?
Sam
Hi Emily! Next time I would recommend carefully removing from cupcake tin, 5 minutes after removing from the oven so there isn’t a lot of condensation.
Jackie
I just made this cake I followed everything exactly but it came out really thine. Is is on the thinner side? It don’t look like the picture. Did I do something wrong?
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Jackie! Just checking you used 8″ pans here? Is your baking soda still good? Did you make any substitutions anywhere? This should turn out to be a pretty standard sized cake. 🙁
Kacie
Hello! Would this recipe make 3 or 4 layer in a 6 inch mold?
Sam
Hi Katie! You would likely have enough batter for 3 layers in a little 6 inch pan with a little bit left over. 🙂
Debbie
Will the recipe work if I halved it and used 1 x 8 inch round cake pan
Sam
Hi Debbie! Half of this batter will fit into a single 2 inch tall 8 inch round cake pan. 🙂
Jackie
Can I use use all unsalted butter instead of oil?
Sam
Hi Jackie! I don’t recommend it as it could dry out your cakes. 🙁
Sandra
Great cake, I make it all the time now. it’s very moist!
Sam
Hi could I make this into a 6in and fill the pans and discard the remainder? Thanks!
Sam
This can be baked in 6 inch pans. Make sure you don’t overfill the pans. I’m not sure what the bake time will be.
Jill K
I was wondering if I could add a bit of melted/cooled chocolate to further the chocolate flavor? If so about how much 100g? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Jill! I have not experimented with it so I can’t say for sure how that would work in this cake.
Joanna
Hi! I made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was so delicious. Now I have to bake a cake for my son’s 6th birthday party and I have a lot of people coming. How would I make this recipe on a half sheet? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! If this won’t work, would you suggest any other recipe for a half sheet cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Joanna! Doubling the recipe should work for your pan 😊